[WATCH] We’ll make you in your Pooke: Gatvol residents raid smokkies to retrieve their ‘stolen’ goods
RECOVERED: Stolen building materials were retrieved by residents.
Gatvol residents from Pooke se Bos informal settlement in Athlone took matters into their own hands, knocking on smokkies’ doors to retrieve stolen material meant for their newly-built houses.
Angry mense on Monday morning stood together to wys criminals that they are not bang to piemp them out.
A resident, who asked not to named for fear of repercussions, said the drama started when they woke up to news that building material had been stolen from the contractor’s container on the building site in the early hours onf Monday.
“The site workers said the security even ran away because the skelms come from the area.
“The workers wouldn’t continue working until we bring the culprits to book,” the resident explained.
The auntie, who had been on the housing waiting list for over 20 years, said almal then decided genoeg is genoeg: “We mos can’t just allow them to come here and stand in the way of us getting homes. Ons is het lank gewag.”
Another resident said that after hours of searching homes, they were told to go to a known smokkie and search there.
“When we got there, we found the stolen doors, ladders and some of the toilet seats.
“They took these things because they don’t want to move and so that construction can stand still.
“They must just know that we are not going to stop kicking out the skelms and those who make our lives difficult.
“Ek meen maar, how can you have a smokkelhuis in the middle of a field and not want it thrown down for building opportunities?”
Law Enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason said residents shut down roads around the area for a few hours.
“The City’s Law Enforcement, Metro Police and Traffic were on scene, along with SAPS,” Dyason confirmed.
“The department can confirm that road closures were affected.”